Henk de Bruin: "The square melons are hardly remarkable now"Japan has more than square melons

Japan is no longer just known for the square melons that are so easy to stack and fit neatly in the fridge. "By now they are well known and hardly remarkable", says 'Japan knower' Henk de Bruin of Apex. "There are lots more sizes and shapes available, like a heart or a face."

"The first square watermelons were grown in the province Kagawa in Japan a few years ago. These melons turned quite a few heads in the beginning. Other Japanese cultivation areas didn't want to be left behind and experimented with various shapes and the result is the heart and pyramid shaped melons."

According to Henk it's only small amount. "They're produced on a small scale and the melons are mainly sold as gifts or used a display in restaurants, for high prices. The taste turns out to be less sweet compared to 'normal' melons. So it's mainly about the novelty effect."

"The heart and pyramid shaped melons are produced in the same way as the square melons. They are grown in a mold for the desired effect." Henk indicates that the producer of the melon with the face refused to reveal how he does is.